Sriracha Lime Noodles

Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow. By now you all should know how much I love spicy things, not to mention how much I love sriracha. I’m sure if you don’t like spicy food, you wouldn’t be reading this. So let me tell you, one spicy lover to another, make these. But they’re tricky, so listen up!

First things first, make sure you have the right hard ware. Use the ladle that has the claws on it. I’m not sure if there’s a name? The pasta grabber? Or maybe just the claw? Anyway, this is very important as your rice noodles will stick together. In past recipes you could get away with it, but please oh Pete, don’t risk it. If your rice noodles stick together you can’t cook them soft, and then you’re stuck with un-chewable noodles. So use your ‘claw’!

Also, this is a thick sauce and you are cooking the noodles RIGHT in the sauce. This means it can burn easy. Stay with your pasta the whole time and make SURE you are stirring it every few minutes. If the water is running low, even more often.

I promise all your hard work will pay off.

It’s filling, hot, creamy, and really one of a kind. I’ve always been fascinated with cashew sauces, considering how many things you can make with them. If you haven’t looked into cashew sauces, I recommend you do so. I mean you can make cheesecake, mac and cheese, alfredo, ricotta, the list truly goes on. The magical nut, if you will.

Not to mention the color of this sauce. I never get over it. Every time I make this pasta (and it’s often) I take a picture because I swear it gets brighter and prettier every time. I feel I should mention something about the red chile in here. Don’t use chile powder, cayenne, paprika, or any other kind of pepper you want to try. Red chile is very cheap and I found a nice local one in the Mexican isle of my grocery store. It’s mild, adds a nice touch to the flavor, and makes a big difference on the color.

This recipe makes for about 6. If you are making left overs, just add some water over the noodles before you pop it in the microwave.

Let me know what you guys think in the comment section below! As always, contact me with any questions about substitutions or anything else.

Sriracha Lime Noodles:

1 1/4 cup of cashews

2 cloves of garlic or 2 tsp of crushed garlic

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp of sriracha seasoning

1/4 tsp of ground black pepper

3/4 tsp of salt

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1/4 cup of sriracha

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of honey

1 can of coconut milk (do not substitute)

3 tablespoons of dried, ground red chile

1 small whole carrot

1 bunch of green onions

1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro

2 tsp of oil

1 pack of ‘Taste of Thai’ rice noodles

Chopped peanuts and sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Start by adding the cashews, garlic, and 1/4 of water into a blender. Blend until smooth, adding a tablespoon of more water at a time, if needed.

2. Take your can of coconut milk and only add 1/2 cup of the coconut water (at the bottom of the can) and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the coconut cream (at the top of the can) to your blender. Add all other ingredients to the blender EXCEPT rice noodles, green onions, carrot, and cilantro. Blend until smooth and until all ingredients are not sticking to the side of the blender.

3. Now that your sauce is done, chop only the white part of your green onions (you won’t need the green side). And using any cheese grater, grate your carrot. This won’t damage your grater. 🙂 Add carrot and onions to a large, deep skillet with 2 tsp of oil and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

4. Next you want to alternate from water, to sauce to make sure you’re not gonna burn anything as much as possible. Add two cups of water onto the carrot/onion mixture, a little less than half of the sauce, and one more cup of water. Add your pack of rice noodles to pan, and finally the rest of the sauce on top.

5. Add your chopped cilantro and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes then uncover and stir really good, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom and all of your noodles are not cooking together.

6. Cover again, and stay with your noodles. Stir every few minutes until the pasta is cooked through, really making sure you’re stirring everything. If you need to add more water, add only 1/4 cup at a time, as you dont want it to get soggy or too soft (rice noodles will do this easily). Once pasta is done, and all the water/sauce mixture is stuck to the noodles

7. Once pasta is done, and all the water/sauce mixture is stuck to the noodles, garnish with chopped peanuts and sesame seeds. Serve warm and enjoy!